The heat is coming, the kids are almost out of school and the mommies have to decide what to do with all that summer free time. It’s a free-for-all to get your children into fun but affordable programs, and a daunting task to make everyone’s schedule work together.Like Michelle, I spent this past week making plans for my kids. Nick will be in baseball this summer, which constitutes two practices and one game per week; while Emma has tumbling on Saturdays at the Rec Center. During the weekdays I’ve signed them up for 6 of the 10 weeks of Kids Kamp at church, leaving us with some free time to just take it easy during the other weeks.
Still, I worry that I’m overscheduling their tiny lives. This summer will be the busiest we’ve ever had, and I’ve always told myself not to take on too much for them at once. I’m a firm believer in freetime and the benefits to their psyches. I look around and see too many kids trying to cram so much learning, dancing and sports into their early childhoods that they’re missing out on opportunities for stretching their imaginations. Some of these children have more on their plate than I do as an adult, and I’m concerned about the stress they are coming under so early in life.
That is not to say that these programs are not good for your children. There is a lot to be said for becoming a well-rounded individual. But this mom thinks it’s important to leave out at least one day a week to relax and play in your own home or neighborhood. On a hot summer day in the Valley, Nothing beats a day of fun in the sprinklers.
